A Theory as to Why Alot us Didnt Get Tix in the US

[Desert Dog]

Someone may have posted this already but there is my take - I think only a small/limited amount of tix were released for the pre-sale & general sale - that way U2 can boast all available tickets and all shows are sold out - this is all part of the hype machine and McGuinness is in bed with Clear Channel & TNA on this - just watch in the coming weeks/months when the announcments that there have been "more tickets released for public sale based on high demand" - this is all part of the strategy to create a frenzy for tickets among the general public and ensure completely sold-out shows

 

[elaine2112]

i think theyve already created their frenzy. id say their work is done...

 

[editorinchief]

no

 

[martha]

Limited shows+better album than last time= higher demand.

 

[Desert Dog]

yes that may be true martha but that wont necessarily alone fill up the arenas and get people to shell out $50+ for nosebleeds and achieve the guaranteed pay day for U2. The main buzz on U2 these days is generated from the top down (corporate machine) and not from the bottom up (fans) like in the JT days. And notice how more shows were just added yesterday? They had these planned already and it's all part of the master strategy. They are carefully creating the sold-out show illusion with the original dates prior to announcing more shows and doing the same with those additional dates. Meanwhile, Clear Channel & TNA are funneling some of the better tickets out to the back door to brokers. Limiting the initial supply will create higher demand.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Limited shows+better album than last time= higher demand.

Annoying tv ad = higher demand

Album is unquestionably weaker than the last effort.

 

[STING2]

yes that may be true martha but that wont necessarily alone fill up the arenas and get people to shell out $50+ for nosebleeds and achieve the guaranteed pay day for U2. The main buzz on U2 these days is generated from the top down (corporate machine) and not from the bottom up (fans) like in the JT days. And notice how more shows were just added yesterday? They had these planned already and it's all part of the master strategy. They are carefully creating the sold-out show illusion with the original dates prior to announcing more shows and doing the same with those additional dates. Meanwhile, Clear Channel & TNA are funneling some of the better tickets out to the back door to brokers. Limiting the initial supply will create higher demand.

All the shows that have gone on sell over the past week were soldout in under an hour when they went on sell four years ago for the elevation tour. The level of demand to see U2 is higher than it was at this time four years ago, so that explains why everything has soldout so fast.

Last time there were a very small number of tickets, a few hundred, that became available during the weeks and months before the actual show took place for some of the soldout shows. With these sellouts, its unlikely that even a few dozen tickets will be available from TM for these soldout shows in the months ahead.

 

[neutral]

Maybe there was just a huge demand for tickets, and they sold out because we bought them all? They haven't toured in so long and the entire country (as well as some fans overseas) is trying to buy tickets to 13 cities.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Maybe there was just a huge demand for tickets, and they sold out because we bought them all? They haven't toured in so long and the entire country (as well as some fans overseas) is trying to buy tickets to 13 cities.

True........I bet they could have done one or two more Chicago shows and they would've sold out because there's nothing else in that area this leg.....

 

[martha]

yes that may be true martha but that wont necessarily alone fill up the arenas and get people to shell out $50+ for nosebleeds and achieve the guaranteed pay day for U2.

This happened last tour.

And notice how more shows were just added yesterday? They had these planned already and it's all part of the master strategy. They are carefully creating the sold-out show illusion with the original dates prior to announcing more shows and doing the same with those additional dates.

This is a common thing for concerts. Has been for a long time.

 

[Desert Dog]

I just think part of the high demand is an illusion created by a careful marketing strategy. Think IPOD, MTV Jammed, Sat Night Live, Grammys, Orange Bowl premier of ABOY video,etc. I have never seen U2 marketed so heavily. Yes some is routine promotion for a new album and tour but some of it is blatant commercialism at it's best. Back in the JT days, they sold out concerts based on their reputation and a hit album not IPOD commercials and Clear Channel.

 

[U2girl]

According to Peeling of dollar bills forum info, HTDAAB is U2's fastest sellling album ever in Soundscan history.
I also think the name "U2" has gotten a bit of a legend-like brand and great live shows guarantee, over the years. Plus the music industry and marketing changed.

Yes, JT was a hit album, but also I think U2 were the the new "hot band to see" of the hour, having their first two no.1s in US at the time no doubt helped too.

 

[U2ITNOL]

The internet is part of the problem many U2 fans can't get tickets for the shows they want. Before the internet age, it was difficult to get tickets for shows outside your own city unless
a) you ordered them through Propaganda
b) tried calling Ticketmaster in the other cities by phone long-distance
c) had friends or family in other cities who could buy tickets for you
or
d) travelled to the cities and got in line at TM outlets

Nowadays, anyone with a PC and internet connection has a shot at getting tickets for any show; Chicago, Boston, LA, San Diego, etc etc. Even the European shows.

The internet sales also open up additional opportunities for scalpers and ticket brokers to grab up tickets. Especially when TM.com allows up to 8 tickets to be purchased per show (2 GA + 6 reserved). Of course scalpers will buy as many tickets as they can. It's not only the ticket brokers who do this for a living who are going for U2 tickets. You also have people looking to make a quick profit by purchasing high-demand tickets like U2 and selling them on Ebay. Case in point, I was just browsing a message board for a local band in town. Here's what one dude just posted this morning.....

"So I hope to be making some ebay dough soon. I did quite well all from the confines of my home on the net. 18 tickets in all. 3 nights in Chicago, a few in Denver and some more in San Diego. I'm getting ready for the rest of the cali. shows in an hour. An 8 ticket limit is just crazy. If they wanted to at least curve the ticket resale problem they should make it a 4 ticket or a 2 ticket limit. Ahh well, hopefully I can pay off some credit card bills and not get stuck with any."


Dosn't that make you sick? This guy hates U2 and has no intention of going to a single show. He bought all those tickets just to pay off his credit card bills. And planned to buy more tickets today.

 

[STING2]

I just think part of the high demand is an illusion created by a careful marketing strategy. Think IPOD, MTV Jammed, Sat Night Live, Grammys, Orange Bowl premier of ABOY video,etc. I have never seen U2 marketed so heavily. Yes some is routine promotion for a new album and tour but some of it is blatant commercialism at it's best. Back in the JT days, they sold out concerts based on their reputation and a hit album not IPOD commercials and Clear Channel.

On the Joshua Tree tour, the videos from the album were played every hour on MTV and the tour was promoted by MTV. Also, the band were a staple on the radio with "With Or With Out You" being the most played song in the country followed again by "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". U2 has never received that level of MTV and radio airplay exposure since then and its that type of exposure that really sales albums and concert tickets. Vertigo only made it to #31 in the USA and MTV does not play video's or promote tours anymore.

The marketing plan you described above was used for the Elevation tour as well, the only difference being the I-POD commercial. Clearly this type of marketing is justified to some extent some most top 40 radio will not play U2 or will only play them on a limited basis and MTV is no longer a vehicle to market an artist really.

 

[STING2]

The internet is part of the problem many U2 fans can't get tickets for the shows they want. Before the internet age, it was difficult to get tickets for shows outside your own city unless
a) you ordered them through Propaganda
b) tried calling Ticketmaster in the other cities by phone long-distance
c) had friends or family in other cities who could buy tickets for you
or
d) travelled to the cities and got in line at TM outlets

Nowadays, anyone with a PC and internet connection has a shot at getting tickets for any show; Chicago, Boston, LA, San Diego, etc etc. Even the European shows.

The internet sales also open up additional opportunities for scalpers and ticket brokers to grab up tickets. Especially when TM.com allows up to 8 tickets to be purchased per show (2 GA + 6 reserved). Of course scalpers will buy as many tickets as they can. It's not only the ticket brokers who do this for a living who are going for U2 tickets. You also have people looking to make a quick profit by purchasing high-demand tickets like U2 and selling them on Ebay. Case in point, I was just browsing a message board for a local band in town. Here's what one dude just posted this morning.....

"So I hope to be making some ebay dough soon. I did quite well all from the confines of my home on the net. 18 tickets in all. 3 nights in Chicago, a few in Denver and some more in San Diego. I'm getting ready for the rest of the cali. shows in an hour. An 8 ticket limit is just crazy. If they wanted to at least curve the ticket resale problem they should make it a 4 ticket or a 2 ticket limit. Ahh well, hopefully I can pay off some credit card bills and not get stuck with any."


Dosn't that make you sick? This guy hates U2 and has no intention of going to a single show. He bought all those tickets just to pay off his credit card bills. And planned to buy more tickets today.

This is true, but we had the internet and all these options on the Elevation tour back in 2001, but most people who planned ahead could get tickets. Out of a couple dozen friends who tried to get tickets yesterday for shows in Philly, we collectively have only ONE ticket. We had people at the ticket outlet, on the phone and on the internet, just like we did for the Elevation tour.

Everyone got to see the shows they wanted on the Elevation tour when we all attempted to go for tickets at 10:00 am, but this time we only have ONE ticket for two dozen people!

 

[EPandAmerica]

Maybe it was the Boston dvd. How well did it sell? I know non fans that watched that and now they want to go to a U2 concert.

They wanted me to let them know when tickets for this tour would be available.

I just think it's like someone in another thread said. People are starved for rock and roll. Good gosh what are the concert choices now days?
And Vertigo seems to be very popular with young kids, pre-teens and on up. I think that I-Pod commercial helped some.

 

[neutral]

I don't know, I still think the time between tours has a lot to do with it. Leg 4 of Popmart ended in mid 1998 and Elevation tours started in early 2001. A little more of a delay this time, plus the massive promo/marketing didn't hurt.

 

[indra]

Case in point, I was just browsing a message board for a local band in town. Here's what one dude just posted this morning.....

"So I hope to be making some ebay dough soon. I did quite well all from the confines of my home on the net. 18 tickets in all. 3 nights in Chicago, a few in Denver and some more in San Diego. I'm getting ready for the rest of the cali. shows in an hour. An 8 ticket limit is just crazy. If they wanted to at least curve the ticket resale problem they should make it a 4 ticket or a 2 ticket limit. Ahh well, hopefully I can pay off some credit card bills and not get stuck with any."


Dosn't that make you sick? This guy hates U2 and has no intention of going to a single show. He bought all those tickets just to pay off his credit card bills. And planned to buy more tickets today.

Actually, doing the same thing crossed my mind...

 

[Desert Dog]

There are alot of good tickets out there still to be had - Clear Channel slid alot out the back door to top-tier brokers (who give good kickbacks probably) - maybe I am full of it, but all the tickets on e-BAy didnt come from brokers and scalpers working the net and phones during the pre-sale and general sales.

 

[Desert Dog]

and to add to that, just watch the prices tumble in the coming weeks and watch your local ticket brokers have them available at much smaller markups

 

[martha]

Good gosh what are the concert choices now days?

Watch your language young lady.

 

[armdoggy]

interesting theory... I was thinking the same thing today.

I was one of the many long-time fans who was unable to not only get floor tix, but even a chance at tickets in FRONT of the stage. This, despite an strong (and honest) effort starting at 10:00:01 am today (as well as yesterday when I tried for San Diego).

While perusing the 80+ pages or so of ridiculous scalper prices on ebay, I got even angrier. How the heck did scalpers get so many tickets? What is the "average joe" fan missing? The only thing that made me laugh was this ridiculous t-shirt:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=3871112232

"We are all slaves to the Ticket Master!" it says.

so true... sniff